title: Solution structure of the DNA-binding domain of the yeast transcriptional activator protein GCN4.
abstract: The solution structure of an active synthetic peptide containing both the leucine zipper and the adjacent basic domain of the yeast transcription factor GCN4 (residues 220-280) was determined by NMR. The two domains show structurally distinct behaviours. In the absence of DNA, the basic domain is, although very flexible, structured and fluctuating around a helical conformation. The leucine zipper region forms a long, uninterrupted helix. From a suitable set of NMR distances the three-dimensional structure of the leucine zipper monomeric sub-domain was calculated by distance geometry algorithms. The structure of the symmetrical parallel dimer was obtained by model building using the NMR information. A smaller peptide with the sequence of the isolated basic region (residues 1-35 of the 61 residue peptide) was also synthesized. Circular dichroism studies showed 30-40% helicity. A flexible helix spans the region between residues 8 and 21. The comparison of our results with suggested models is discussed in detail.
authors.affiliation: Merrell Dow Research Institute, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saudek
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Castiglione Morelli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gausepohl
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Weih
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roesch
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016350:Leucine Zippers; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011494:Protein Kinases; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D011494:Protein Kinases